Interview

McCabe on team spirit, Invincibles and Gooners

Katie int

Fan favourite Katie McCabe recently spoke to us about our team spirit, the Invincibles, and our fantastic supporters.

First up, Katie, what do you think is the most important ingredient of a team?

I think what’s most important is that we all want to win. Being a group of winners. Especially playing at a club like Arsenal, you want to be in the most competitive tournaments and you’ve always got that pressure to compete for those trophies and win those trophies. So you all have to have that ruthless winning mentality and the collective commitment to invest in the team.

What does team spirit mean to you?

Team spirit is so important and it’s built over time. If you take a look at our squad, we’ve got a real core group of players who have been here for a long time and have represented the club for a number of years. Within that group, we’ve established a real sense of identity so when new team-mates arrive in the summer – or in January, for that matter – it’s so important to include them and help them understand us all.

Obviously, that’s understanding how we all work together on the pitch, but we spend a lot of time together off the pitch too. Between travelling all over the country and Europe together, you’re creating and growing relationships all the time.

"I used to think, 'I hope I'm not that moany when I'm older!'"

Tell us about the first team you played for. Are you still in touch with anyone from that side?

The first senior club I played for was a side over in Ireland called Raheny United. I was about 16 and I used to cut corners and not train as well as I should have. I just wanted to play football. But there were a few older players who wouldn’t let me get away with slacking. I used to think, “I hope I’m not that moany when I’m older,” but now, I’m the moan! It’s funny how things change.

Some of those girls taught me so much on the pitch – and off it as well. They were great role models for me and I’m still close to most of that team even now. They still come over and watch games whenever we play at the Emirates and it’s so nice to have them follow my journey, whether it’s for Arsenal or for Ireland.

And back to Arsenal. It’s obviously such a tight-knit squad, but who are you closest to in the team currently – or is hard to single out individuals?

We’ve got such a good mix of characters: older players, younger players and a couple in between! We’ve got more extroverted people and those who like to keep more to themselves, but once we all step onto the pitch we come into our own and deliver for the team, which is the most important thing.

I think it’s a real nice mixture and we try to bring out the best in each other. It’s about making the newer players feel as comfortable as possible too. Right now, we’re all singing Cloe Lacasse’s new chant to her any chance we can get. Vic only came in January and it already feels like she’s been here for years. It just goes to show how invested she is to throw herself into the team and build those relationships.

It has been so nice that the fans have chants for us all, so we can share that moment with them on the pitch and then come and sing those songs back in the dressing room after a win. When we have that dynamic, it brings the club as a whole together as well.

McCabe celeb

How important is diversity in a team? Have you picked up much in the way of languages or culture from team-mates?

It’s great having so many different nationalities in the dressing room because it brings different cultures and ways of living. It’s important for us to understand people as people and where they come from. For me, I just try my best to help the girls coming in feel as comfortable as possible by creating good dynamics and trying to learn a bit of their language.

With the Swedish girls, I call them all “älskling” and likewise, with Vic, she’s taught me a few words in Dutch that I won’t share! I’ve taught the team a thing or two in Irish too, so it’s a two-way street. That diversity is a really positive thing.

Who’s on your own personal team – your family and friends?

Within the Arsenal squad there are always people you can go to for help or advice, so it’s similar to having a big family. I’m very lucky to have as many siblings as I do because, if I ever need anything, I’ve always got them there. I would like to see us play a football match because there’s enough of us for a starting XI!

I’m the fifth-eldest and my older siblings tend to take charge most of the time at home, so it’s great to be more involved with the leadership team here at Arsenal. With my personality, I love to get on with people and try to understand them so we can have strong relationships. There’s a balance with that because when you’re at the club we all demand the best from each other, day in, day out. I’d like to think within my family I don’t really get on people’s nerves too much, but maybe that’s not the case here!

Katie McCabe before the game against Manchester United

We’ve got a lot of young players in the squad – what benefits does that bring, and what challenges?

It’s been so good having the likes of Kyra and Kathrine coming in, and obviously Vic is still young too. How they play is so unique and it brings such a different dynamic to the team. Ke’s feet are unbelievable, as is her ability to find passes in small spaces, and Kyra is one of the best midfielders I’ve ever seen carry the ball. She showed that against West Ham just before the international break to set Beth up for her first goal back.

It’s really good to have those different options in midfield, and knowing how young the girls are as well it’s crazy because they play with such maturity. They’ll be learning from the best, especially in that midfield area. It’s nice to be able to help them and guide them in the very early stages of their careers.

Can you think of a time when the team has been there for you at a difficult moment?

Last year we were so incredibly unlucky to have injuries to so many important players. We’d had that in glimpses before in our title-winning season when some of our key players weren’t in the squad because they’d picked up injuries and that was difficult at the time. Over the years we’ve developed that bond even further as a group and I think last season was probably the most together we’ve ever felt. Everybody was checking in on each other and looking after one another.

Obviously you see the moment the injury happens, but it’s all the things the girls do for each other afterwards. Dropping off ice packs, picking up food for people – all those little things that no one would see from the outside. And with so many different nationalities in the team, not many of the girls have families with them so it’s even more important that we look after each other. We lean on each other and when you truly care for your team-mates, you would do anything for them on and off the pitch.

"The idea of them winning the quadruple and remaining invincible for more than 100 games is spectacular"

You played with some of the Invincibles team of 2006/07. What do you think was the key ingredient in that side?

They were absolutely ruthless in their mentality, their performances and what they represented. I know the game has grown so much since but there were still so many competitive teams back then. I’ve had conversations with Emma Byrne about that side, asking her how they achieved what they did, and she just said that they had this collective desire to win.

They all had jobs or other roles in the club so they didn’t train full time and there were lots of young players moving away from home for the first time. Having that amount of talent together at one time is so unique. I’ve won a league with Arsenal before and I know how hard that one season was, so the idea of them going on to win the quadruple and remaining invincible for more than 100 games is just spectacular. That achievement is not recognised as much as it should be across football because it’s very special. The women in that squad are absolute legends of the game.

Could you imagine playing an individual sport like golf or tennis rather than a team sport?

It has always been team for me. There’s nothing individual about me. I love sharing experiences with people, team-mates, family and friends, and very rarely would you see me sitting somewhere on my own.

I’m very much a people person. Even at school, I never played any individual sports – it was always football or Gaelic football or basketball. So you’re not going to see me going off to be an individual superstar!

I love being around people and around teams, and the idea of succeeding with a group of players who are hungry, driven and resilient is important to me. We’re in a really great place for that. We got a taste of silverware last season, and of course the opening games this campaign didn’t go our way, but we didn’t let it define us. We’re on a run of eight wins now, so we want to continue that momentum and look to finish 2023 on a real high.

Katie McCabe celebrates scoring against Bristol City

There’s a whole team behind the team at Arsenal: the medical team, coaches, analysts and so on. How much time do you spend with them?

It’s so good. We’re so lucky because, with the investment Arsenal have put in, we’ve added to that backroom staff more and more. For me, it’s the character and the person you bring into the building and into the environment that’s going to make a massive difference. The characters we have behind the scenes here are absolutely incredible.

Of course we spend a lot of time with the coaching staff, but it’s also the medical staff, the nutritionists, the strength and conditioning boys, our psychologist, and Holly, Maisie and Niamh – everyone is pulling their weight. Everyone’s doing their best for us to fully concentrate on what we do on the pitch.

Maybe you’ve had a rough day but you can sit on the physio bed and have a long chat, and it always helps. Their professionalism is so important, but most importantly it’s the people that they are.

What’s the best example of togetherness with the supporters you can remember?

I think it’s yet to come. We’re building something really special here. Of course, don’t get me wrong, we’ve already had some amazing moments. I think the Conti Cup win last year was the most enjoyable because we’d been without a trophy for some time. To win it in front of our fans and share the celebrations to show what we’ve learned together was huge.

And then this season, the support the fans have given us in away games, selling out our allocation time after time and setting records away from home. They give us that extra bit of energy, especially away from home. The chants right now are especially good because they help players feel part of this club. I hope the fans know that we give 100 per cent every time we step out on the pitch for them.